New murder charge filed in fatal 2020 downtown Minneapolis shooting
A new murder charge has been filed against a Maplewood man in connection to a fatal 2020 shooting in downtown Minneapolis.
Jerome Drell Randle, 31, was charged Tuesday with second-degree intentional murder in the death of Cody Pollard. He was initially charged in July 2020 and was set to go on trial this spring before the charge against him was dismissed due to witness issues.
Pollard showed up at a hospital suffering from a gunshot wound on the night on June 21, 2020, the same night nearly a dozen others were injured in a shooting in Uptown Minneapolis. Police initially believed Pollard was one of the victims of the Uptown shooting but later found video posted to social media that showed Pollard near Target Center.
According to a criminal complaint, the video showed a group of people was watching a fight outside Target Center that Pollard appeared to be involved in. Police were able to identify Gregory Easley as the man who punched Pollard in the back of the head before Randle pistol-whipped Pollard in the back of the head.
Surveillance video then showed Pollard being assaulted by Easley and another man, Sirvonte Varner, with Randle nearby. After a few minutes, the crowd that had gathered quickly started running away, consistent with shots fired, the complaint states.
A witness who went to help Pollard told police that Randle warned against anyone helping Pollard and threatened to use a gun he was holding if anyone did.
Pollard underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to his torso but died at the hospital.
Varer was sentenced in January to 25 days at the Hennepin County Workhouse and three years of supervised probation for his role in Pollard’s assault. Easley was sentenced in April to three years of supervised probation for his role.
Randle’s first court appearance is set for July 28.
If convicted, Randle faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.